"The continued harassment and detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi demonstrates the SPDC’s ambitions to silence Burma’s greatest hope for peace. Daw Suu does not threaten the generals who control Burma. In fact, she is their best hope.
For over 20 years Daw Suu has exhibited an unwavering commitment to non-violence and dialogue with Burma’s military regime. In light of the junta’s repressive behavior, Daw Suu’s moderate voice and calls for national reconciliation are the true beacon of hope for Burma’s people and must not be overlooked.
Political change in Burma is inevitable, as is the transition of power from the generals to a civilian government. A prominent figure of the democracy movement, Daw Suu commends widespread respect from Burma’s citizens, ethnic nationalities, and even within the armed forces. It is this common admiration that places Daw Suu in the unique position to peacefully guide democratic transition addressing the concerns of all parties.
For a peaceful transition to democracy to take place in Burma, the junta must immediately release Daw Suu and engage in a sincere and inclusive dialogue regarding Burma’s political future. The junta must embrace Daw Suu’s calls for “reconciliation and progress towards a situation in which we can all participate together for the good of the future.”"

The 52 Mainichi Shimbun letters, 1995-1996. "The Mainichi Shimbun won the Nihon Shimbun Kyokai (Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association) Award on Wednesday, September 4, 1996 for carrying the series "Letter from Burma" by Burmese dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The series has been carried in the Monday morning editions of the Mainichi Shimbun and in the Mainichi Daily News since Nov. 27, 1995..."

All the Letters from Burma is one file for easy searching.
The 52 Mainichi Shimbun letters, 1995-1996. "The Mainichi Shimbun won the Nihon Shimbun Kyokai (Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association) Award on Wednesday, September 4, 1996 for carrying the series "Letter from Burma" by Burmese dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The series has been carried in the Monday morning editions of the Mainichi Shimbun and in the Mainichi Daily News since Nov. 27, 1995..."

"The leader of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has given a wide ranging interview to the BBC's Fergal Keane... We met in the cavernous interior of the foreign affairs ministry where the old regime once plotted its campaigns against international sanctions and isolation.
On the walls are the portraits of past Burmese leaders, beginning with her father General Aung San, assassinated on the eve of independence in 1947, and continuing into the era of thuggish military rule, face after forgotten face for whom nobody had ever voted in a democratic election.
The new leader, elected with an overwhelming popular mandate, arrived surrounded by civil servants and guarded by police, fresh from meetings and with many more planned later in the day.
Her interview with me was the first this year and a rare encounter with the media..."

Video and photos of Daw Suu's arrival and reception by ILO officers at Geneva Airport...Video of the highlights of her address to the Conference...Link to the text of her address...4 Video interviews on ILO's involvement with Myanmar...The ILO and Myanmar: Timeline of key developments from 1948...Links to documents of the
101st Session of the International Labour Conference.

Daw Suu's arrival at the ILO, greeted by Juan Somavia, the ILO Director-General, the highlights of her address...
"Myanmar needs democracy-friendly development growth, says Aung San Suu Kyi...
Aung San Suu Kyi called for international aid and investment to promote economic progress in Myanmar and in particular focussed attention on the problem of youth unemployment. Highlighting the potential of her country both in terms of its natural and human resources, she noted, 'it is not so much joblessness as hopelessness that threatens our future. The Nobel laureate made her landmark address to a packed Assembly Hall at the 101st session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland."

Transcript of the lecture..."...To be speaking to you now, through the BBC, has a very special
meaning for me. It means that, once again, I am officially a free person. When I was officially
un-free - that is to say when I was under house arrest - it was the BBC that spoke to me. I
listened. But that listening also gave me a kind of freedom: the freedom of reaching out to
other minds. Of course it was not the same as a personal exchange, but it was a form of
human contact. The freedom to make contact with other human beings with whom you
may wish to share your thoughts, your hopes, your laughter, and at times even your anger
and indignation is a right that should never be violated. Even though I cannot be with you in
person today, I am so grateful for this opportunity to exercise my right to human contact by
sharing with you my thoughts on what freedom means to me and to others across the world
who are still in the sad state of what I would call un-freedom..."

Address to the participants in the World Economic Summit, DAvos, 28 January 2011...DAVOS — Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi reached out Friday to the world's business elite to invest in her isolated, impoverished country — but carefully.
"We yearn to be a part of the global community," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said in an audio message to the World Economic Forum, where leading world executives and government officials are gathered in this Swiss Alpine resort.
"We have already missed so many opportunities because of political conflicts in our country over the last 50 years," she said.
Defense spending in military-run Burma, one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia, overwhelms spending on education and health, to the detriment of its 55 million people, she said

"Aung San Suu Kyi, the recently released Burmese dissident, has become an international symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression and human rights violations in Myanmar.
The 65-year-old has spent most of the last 20 years in some form of detention because of her efforts to bring democracy to military-ruled Burma.
In 1991, one year after her party, the National League for Democracy, won an overwhelming victory in an election the junta later nullified, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Now she talks to Al Jazeera about the country's future, the need for change, and why she believes that national reconciliation is the road Myanmar has to take to get the country out of the present state of economic stagnation and political unfreedom.
She speaks about democracy, development, a strong civil society, and the humanitarian situation in Myanmar - and how change and progress could be achieved.
To put the challenges facing Myanmar into global context we are joined by a distinguished panel of experts:
Helping us facilitate the dialogue is Maung Zarni, a Burmese dissident and an academic research fellow at the London School of Economis. His first-hand knowledge of Burma allows him to share his insights of armed conflicts, resistance, and the Burmese military.
Mary Kaldor is professor and co-director of Gobal Governance. She has written extensively on global civil society, how ordinary people organise to change the way their countries and global institutions are run.
Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political commentator and regular colomnist for the UK newspaper The Guardian. He is professor of European studies at Oxford University. His main interest is civil resistance and the role of Europe and the old West in an increasingly western world. In 2000, Aung San Suu Kyi invited Professor Garton Ash to Burma to speak to members of her party, the National League for Democracy, about transitions to democracies."

The Irrawaddy spoke to Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi by telephone in the days after she was released from house arrest.
She talked about the military generals she has met over the years and about Gandhi, mobile phones, the new parliament and the changes she has seen in Rangoon since she last walked free

After her release from seven years under house arrest, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has
spoken on a wide range of issues concerning the past, present, and future of Burma.
What follows is a summary of the statements she made in the 48 hours that followed
her 13 November release....On the 2010 elections...On the NLD...On cooperation with other pro-democracy forces...On ethnic issues...On dialogue and national reconciliation...On talks with SPDC Chairman Sr Gen Than Shwe...On the military...On people’s participation...On her detention...On political prisoners...On democracy, rule of law, and human rights...On politics...On economic sanctions...On the management of Burma’s natural resources...On China

"...We shall proceed in consultation with democratic entities and the NLD shall not go it
alone but hand in hand with majority. Furthermore, the majority must be encompassed by
the people. We cannot do it without the people and we ask for their assistance. I ask for
your faith and support (cheering). So keep up your strength. I feel bad to ask you to eat
up (to keep up your strength) since I hear that you do not have enough to eat (laughter). I
ask you to keep up your physical and mental strength. It is with this strength we shall
work together to reach our goal. I would have to say that there are some of us who have
lost sight of that goal. But to have to walk the path to reach this proper goal is priceless.
Man is mortal. One day it will all be over, but before it is over, how one has led one’s life
is the most important..."

BBC World Service, Talking Point, Thursday, 12 December, 2002:
Aung San Suu Kyi.
Transcript:
"Lyse Doucet:
Welcome to Talking Point with me Lyse Doucet. This week as part of our special series of programmes marking the 70th birthday of the BBC World Service, we're speaking with Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's pro-democracy leader, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
Around the world, Aung San Suu Kyi is recognised, not just as a symbol of Burma or Myanmar as her country is known, but as a symbol of the struggle for democracy itself.
Since she returned home to Burma, fifteen years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent much of her time under house arrest although she was released, unconditionally it seems, by the military government in May of this year.
But political change in Burma has come slowly, if at all. Fighting for it requires patience and indeed sacrifice.
Aung San Suu Kyi has made big personal sacrifices, separated for years from her two children and her late husband. Aung San Suu Kyi welcome to Talking Point. There was much talk when you were released that there had been secret talks with the military government. Do you feel that you and your National League for Democracy are now making some progress?..."

"As I understand it, a kangaroo court is so called because it is a burlesque
performance where the process of the law takes heart-stopping leaps and bounds.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the entry on kangaroos in the Encyclopedia Britannica
to see how far these marsupial mammals can clear in a leap. Apparently
the record is 13.5 meters.This is far superior to the Olympics long- jump record.
It is no surprise then that the erratic course of justice in a kangaroo court is
outside the bounds of normal human conduct..."

Q: You have an incredible grassroots following right now that seems to be nearly 100 percent when you go around the country and talk to people. I realize the majority of these people are not registered members of the NLD or other opposition parties. How can you harness this force? What needs to happen to make these voices heard?
A: Well, this is the main reason why we have been working for the rights of political parties to operate freely, because in any country the only way you get the people to have a voice is through political parties, and that is our prime motive in asking that political parties be allowed to operate freely. This is why the NLD has been struggling over these last years to carry on, that we may have the opportunity to give a voice to these people. Mind you, I don't think we are the only political party that can do it. I think especially in the ethnic nationality areas they have their own parties, which should be allowed to operate freely.

Aung San Suu Kyi: "This government is not capable of running the economy"TIME contributor Sandra Burton met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Oct. 22 to discuss the recent visit of United Nations Special Envoy Alvar De Soto and his efforts to promote national reconciliation and the restoration ofdemocracy. (A few days later, she also met with Foreign Minister Win Aung.) The following is the complete transcript of Burton's meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi

"The nature of time is incomprehensible. Days that crept and months that crawled telescope into years that seem to fly past.
Burma is a land of soothsayers. Campaigning in the Irrawaddy division in 1989, I met a young doctor who told me anxiously that after careful astrological calculation, local Buddhist monks had come to the conclusion that nine years would pass before the movement for democracy was crowned with victory. "Nine years," he said with furrowed brow, "Can we bear it for so long?" "Why not?" I replied absently, wondering about the scientifically calculable probability rate of astrological predictions with one part of my mind while the other tried to work out the implications of a decade of struggle. At that time, a decade stretched out mistily into the unforseeable future; but now that almost the whole of it has been left behind, it has shrunk to negligible proportions..."

Interview October 1997."It is the psychological pressure that counts"
"In October International IDEA Board Member Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the
Burmese leader of the National League for Democracy and Nobel Peace
Prize laureate, was interviewed by the Institute and gave her views on what
can be done to move the process of democratization in Burma forward. Here
are some excerpts from the interview..."

[The following is the edited text of the 11 th Pope Paul VI Memorial Lecture, written by Aung San Suu Kyi and delivered by her husband Dr Michael Aris on November 3, 1997 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, London.] "I sincerely believe that all peoples and creeds can co-exist in peace, that whatever our race or religion, we can all learn to agree on certain basic values essential for the development of human society. 1 am not an authority on either Buddhism or development, but I am strongly concerned with the problems of human existence which fall within the realm of both subjects. In a nutshell, I shall be speaking not as an expert but as a Buddhist and a concerned participant in the process of human development. ... There are peoples in East as in the West who think the worth of a society is measured by its material wealth and by impressive figures of growth, ignoring the injustices and the pain that might lie behind them. Then there are those who believe that development must be measured in terms of human happiness, of peace within the community and of harmony with the environment. And so we come back to loving kindness and Compassion.
Paradise on earth is a concept which is outmoded and few people believe in it any more. But we can certainly seek to make our planet a better, happier home for all of us by constructing the heavenly abodes of love and compassion in our hearts. Beginning with this inner development we can go on to the development of the external world with courage and wisdom. "

Opening Keynote Address read on video to the NGO Forum on Women, Beijing, China, August 31, 1995 by Aung San Suu Kyi.
"It is a wonderful but daunting task that has fallen on me to say a few words by way of opening this Forum, the greatest concourse of women (joined by a few brave men!) that has ever gathered on our planet. I want to try and voice some of the common hopes which firmly unite us in all our splendid diversity..."

[Address to a meeting of the World Commission on Culture and Development, Manila, 21 November 1994, to be presented
on behalf of the author at her request by Mrs Corazon Aquino.]
"Peace as a goal is an ideal which will not be contested by any government or nation, not even the most belligerent. And the
close interdependence of the culture of peace and the culture of development also finds ready acceptance. But it remains a
matter of uncertainty how far governments are prepared to concede that democracy and human rights are indivisible from the
culture of peace and therefore essential to sustained development. There is ample evidence that culture and development can
actually be made to serve as pretexts for resisting calls for democracy and human rights. It is widely known that some
governments argue that democracy is a western concept alien to indigenous values; it has also been asserted that economic
development often conflicts with political (i.e. democratic) rights and that the second should necessarily give way to the first. In
the light of such arguments culture and development need to be carefully examined and defined that they may not be used, or
rather, misused, to block the aspirations of peoples for democratic institutions and human rights..."

[Transcript of the interview made on February 15th, 1994
(distributed by BurmaNet on May 13, 1994) between Aung San Suu Kyi, Rep. Bill Richardson, UNDP Resident Representive Jehan Raheem and New York Times Correspondent Philip Sheehen. ]
"DASSK: (On national reconciliation) I have always asked for dialogue. This is something that we have to work for, but what can we do if the SLORC refuses to talk. I have always said Secretary-1 should talk to me."

[Speech delivered at the Joyce Pearce Memorial Lecture in
Refugee Studies Programme, University of Oxford on 19 May, 1993.]
"..it occurred to me that the Burmese expression for refugee is dukkha-the, "one who has to bear dukkha, suffering". In that sense, none of us can avoid knowing what it is to be a refugee. The refuge we all seek is protection from forces which wrench us away from the security and comfort, physical and mental, which give dignity and meaning to human existence. // The answer as to how such protection might be provided can be found only when the destructive forces have been identified... The dream of a society ruled by loving kindness, reason and justice is a dream as old as civilized man. ...It is true that even the smallest light cannot he extinguished by all the darkness in the world, because darkness is wholly negative. It is merely an absence of light. But a small light cannot dispel acres of encircling gloom. It needs to grow stronger, to shed its brightness further and further. And people need to accustom their eyes to the light to see it as a benediction rather than a pain, to learn to love it. We are so much in need of a brighter world which will offer adequate refuge to all its inhabitants. "

This essay and the two which follow were written by the author for a
project she was unable to complete before she was placed under house arrest
on 20 July 1989. The project was intended to result in a volume of essays
on democracy and human rights which she had been hoping to dedicate to her
father as Essays in Honour of Bogyoke Aung San... "...In their quest for democracy the people of Burma explore not
only the political theories and practices of the world outside their
country but also the spiritual and intellectual values that have
given shape to their own environment.
There is an instinctive understanding that the cultural, social
and political development of a nation is a dynamic process which
has to be given purpose and direction by drawing on tradition as
well as by experiment, innovation and a willingness to evaluate
both old and new ideas objectively. This is not to claim that all
those who desire democracy in Burma are guided by an awareness
of the need to balance a dispassionate, sensitive assessment of the
past with an intelligent appreciation of the present. But threading
through the movement is a rich vein of the liberal, integrated spirit which meets intellectual challenges with wisdom and courage.
There is also a capacity for the sustained mental strife and
physical endurance necessary to withstand the forces of negativism,
bigotry and hate. Most encouraging of all, the main impetus
for struggle is not an appetite for power, revenge and destruction
but a genuine respect for freedom, peace and justice.
The quest for democracy in Burma is the struggle of a people
to live whole, meaningful lives as free and equal members of the
world community. It is part of the unceasing human endeavour
to prove that the spirit of man can transcend the flaws of his own
nature."

On 14 February 1994 Aung San Suu Kyi received her first visitors outside
her immediate family during all the years of her incarceration. The
following are excerpts from the conversation she held with Bill Richardson,
Democrat Congressman from New Mexico, Jehan Raheem, Resident Representative
of the UNDP in Rangoon, and Philip Shenon of the New York
Times..."RICHARDSON: What do you see as the prospects for a national
reconciliation?
ASSK: This is precisely why I've always asked for dialogue. You
have to work out the terms and conditions under which national
reconciliation can be brought about. If the SLORC refuses to
talk, how can they bring about national reconciliation?..."

This important essay was first released for publication to commemorate the European Parliament's award to Aung San Suu Kyi of the 1990 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The award ceremony took place in her absence at Strasbourg on 10 July 1991. In the same week the essay appeared in full or in part in The Times Literary Supplement, the New York Times, the Far East Economic Review, the Bangkok Post, the Times of India and in the German, Norwegian and Icelandic press.

"The following is the English translation prepared by the author of the speech she delivered in Burmese to a mass rally on the open ground west of the great Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon on 26 August 1988. Of the approximately one thousand public addresses she calculated she had given throughout the length and breadth of Burma between August 1988 and July 1989, this was the first and the only one for which she had prepared text to hand. Two days earlier she had made a brief appearance in front of the Rangoon General Hospital, the main focus of popular demonstra­tions at the time, in order to announce her intention to address the rally and to call for discipline and unity..."